FEBRUARY 21, 2008

An open-wheeler deal gets closer

Open-wheeler racing looks set to reunite in the United States with the talks between the Indy Racing League and Champ Car edging closer to a solution. It will, no doubt, take mon ths to sort out all the legal details but a reunification means that finally open-wheeler racing in the US can once again become a serious proposition. While this may raise questions about a longterm threat to Formula 1, it is unlikely to be a worry for years to come as Indycar's first goal will be to make itself attractive enough to win back viewers who have switched to NASCAR in recent years. Only when the best youngsters return to open-wheelers, wanting to win the Indianapolis 500 and such events, will there be any chance of an international challenge to F1.